


Shared Birthday

by Juli



Series: Days of Summer [3]
Category: Marvel Avengers Movies Universe
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-04
Updated: 2012-08-04
Packaged: 2017-11-11 11:02:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/477840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Juli/pseuds/Juli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony is determined that Steve has a perfect birthday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shared Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> A ficlet a day in August to count down the days of summer.
> 
> SPOILER WARNING for Avengers 2012 movie.
> 
> Peoria is, of course, a real place. I even lived there for a year and a half when I when I was a kid. It's been a long time, though, and what's in the story is based on comments a co-worker made about a recent trip there and also what I could find on the internet. I apologize to the residents of Peoria if I made any mistakes.

The President of the United States was disappointed, as was every branch of the military, including the Air Force. Why the latter thought they had a snowball’s chance of claiming Captain America’s attention on Independence Day was anybody’s guess. To be fair, though, Tony realized that the Air Force had as much chance of politely forcing Steve to make an appearance at their Fourth of July festivities as anyone else. Even Nick Fury knew to route all such requests through Tony and, as far as Tony was concerned, there was one person and one person only who had a say on where Steve Rogers would be on July 4 and that was Steve himself. 

Knowing how patriotic his lover was, not to mention obedient, Tony hadn’t even let Steve know about most of the carefully worded requests for his attendance. He knew that Steve would push aside his own desires for the day if he thought his country needed him. If the country truly did, Tony wouldn’t have dreamed of filtering the requests. Want was very different from need, though. Various groups might think it would be great for Steve to grace their observances of the day with his presence, but what Steve needed was not to be put on display. As far as Tony was concerned, there’d been more than enough of that in Steve’s life.

Besides, it was not only was the country’s birthday; it was Steve’s too. Tony might be willing to sacrifice himself for the world’s safety, but at heart he was a selfish bastard. He wanted Steve to spend his birthday with him. Didn’t much matter where, as long as Tony was at Steve’s side. Given Steve’s choice, that dedication was put to the test.

Honestly, given’s Steve’s nature, Tony’d expected to end up strolling through Arlington Cemetery on the Fourth of July or maybe visiting the WWII monument. Instead, he found himself on his private jet, flying to, of all places, Peoria, Illinois.

“Why Peoria?” Tony finally asked. He’d refrained from asking before they were airborne, wanting to support Steve’s choice 100%.

Steve shrugged. “I just wanted to get away from all of the hoopla.”

Tony was nothing if not persistent. “But what’s in Peoria?”

“Americans.” Steve’s face flushed with that blush that Tony found so endearing, but his eyes were steady. As Captain America, he’d been drafted to do cheesy shows designed to get Americans to buy, literally, into the war. It had left him with a loathing of glitzy spectacles.

“Okay, you got me there. Peoria it is, then.” The blush combined with Steve’s sheer ingenuousness was more than Tony could resist. Tony gave himself over to the idea of a day spent in the middle of America, away from the spotlight he used to crave and all because the man he loved was absolutely adorable when he blushed.

Being in a steady relationship had matured Tony a little, at least to the point that there were no more pole dances on his private jet. Even so, he wasn’t one to deny himself his favorite creature comforts either, so once they reached cruising altitude, Tony had the flight attendants set up the movie screen and pop the popcorn. He’d chosen the movie with care and they settled down to watch; Steve to watch the movie and Tony to watch Steve. 

They were nearly halfway through Independence Day before Steve realized the truth. “This is a bad movie, isn’t it?”

Tony grinned. “Depends on how you define bad.”

Steve rolled his eyes, but smiled anyway, his way of showing he didn’t understand his lover’s point, but wasn’t bothered enough by it to ask for clarification. “I can see why New Yorkers got over the Chitauri so quickly, Americans have been fantasizing about alien invasions for years.”

“Was that a joke?” Tony crowed in delight. Steve had lightened up a lot since they’d become lovers, but actual jokes were few and far between. Steve just shrugged his shoulders at the teasing, pointedly turning his attention back to the screen.

Between the movie and the Steve-watching, the flight went relatively quickly. Before Tony was really ready to arrive, and share his boyfriend with anyone, they’d landed and were debarking from the plane.

They were met on the tarmac by a middle-aged man in an ill-fitting suit. “Mr. Stark?”

“The one and only,” Tony shook the man’s hand, ignoring his star-struck look, and immediately started circling the vehicle that the man was standing next to. “This the one?”

“Yes, sir.” The man’s voice was full of pride. “Fully loaded too.”

Tony gave him a grin of approval. “I can see that. We’ll take it. I’m assuming Miss Potts forwarded the paperwork.”

“That she did, sir.” The man’s smile was full of relief as he held out a clipboard full of forms. “She was very thorough.”

“She normally is.” Tony signed the papers with his usual flourish and gave the pen back to the man. “Keys?”

The man had been caught staring at Steve, who was watching the whole scene with bemusement. At Tony’s question, he fumbled in his pocket and managed to bring out a key fob. “She’s all yours, sir.”

“Good.” Tony held out his hand over his head and the man obligingly tossed the keys up for him. Tony caught them easily. “Thanks.”

“You’re more than welcome, Mr. Stark.” The man obviously knew he’d been dismissed, because he started to walk away. “And please remember Peoria Elite Motors for your future transportation needs.”

Steve waited until the car salesman was out of earshot before he spoke. “You bought a car instead of renting one?”

Tony gave Steve a haughty look. “I don’t do rentals.” He grinned suddenly, showing that the attitude was feigned. “This way, if I need to call in the Mach 8, it won’t punch a hole through someone else’s car.”

Ever since the fight with Loki, Tony had kept the bracelets on that allowed him to connect to the next generation of his Iron Man suit. This version was folded into a familiar suitcase-sized package, which Steve was currently carrying. 

“Fine,” Steve rolled his eyes. “It’s all about vehicular safety. You want to open the back?”

The vehicle that Tony had chosen to buy was an SUV. He hadn’t even considered his usual sexy sports car, but not because he didn’t think any could be found in Peoria. No, the day was about Steve and while sexy certainly applied to the captain, a small sports car wasn’t necessarily Steve’s style.

“Here, you’re driving.” Tony tossed Steve the keys after the younger man stowed the Iron Man suit in the back. 

“Me?” Steve looked surprised. Tony rarely gave up an opportunity to be behind the wheel.

Tony looked at him from lowered lashes. “It’s your day, Birthday Boy. I got an American-made SUV just for you.”

Steve smiled at him. “Thanks.”

The drive in had Tony a little worried. He didn’t know very much about Peoria, but the area they were traveling through was more industrial than Tony expected. In fact, it looked a little depressed. He snuck a look at Steve. From the expression on Steve’s face, he was a little distressed about the area he’d chosen to visit.

And then they reached the river area.

It was like they’d traveled to a different world. The industrial area that they’d driven through was gray, deserted and a little run down. The river area was splashed with color, both from the holiday-inspired decorations and the clothing from the throngs of people who were there. No wonder the industrial area was empty, everyone was at the river.  
Steve was grinning as he parked the SUV, clearing his earlier doubts about their destination were alleviated. As for Tony, he was relieved. The last thing he wanted was for Steve’s birthday to be a bummer.

After exiting the vehicle, the two men walked slowly towards the action. Tony’s fingers twitched as he resisted the urge to take Steve’s hand. He didn’t do it, though, because not only was Steve still shy about public displays of affection, but he also didn’t know how conservative a place Peoria was. It would not be cool for Steve to be confronted with gay haters on a day that Tony was determined was going to be special.

As they walked, it was clear that they were recognized. Tony was used to the ogling and fingers pointed in his direction. Steve didn’t care for it, but he was a trooper. He took in the sights and sounds with a grin on his face, enjoying the evidence of patriotism all around him. 

There were a number of booths and canopies set up in the river area. The first one they approached was selling red carnations, either long stemmed or cut for boutonnieres. Tony smirked as he saw the sign that proclaimed that the flower sales were a fund raising activity – for the building of a veterans’ home. Steve was pulling out his money even before they stepped up to the table.

“Oh, thank you, now is this for you or for someone special-. . .” the gray haired lady working the booth reached for a cut carnation, but stopped short when she saw who her customer was. “Oh, my. We can’t have you pay, Captain Am-“

Steve, usually the epitome of manners, interrupted her. “Please, ma’am. Today it’s just Steve.”

Tony thought the woman would hyperventilate or pass out, but bless her heart, she rallied. “All right, just Steve, but your money’s still no good, so put it away.” She pointed at the sign again. “See? Veterans get a flower for free and, just Steve or not, you’re definitely a veteran.”

Steve opened his mouth to complain, but Tony stopped him with hand on his arm. “That’s okay. I’m not a veteran and I’m sure this fine lady won’t mind taking my money at all.” Tony took out his wallet and dropped a $100 bill in the basket.

“Oh.” She said again. “Thank you, Mr. Stark.”

“You’re welcome,” he looked at her nametag before turning on the Stark charm. “Marion, it’s just Tony today, all right?”

Peoria was certainly smaller than New York, but it was by no means a small town. Even so, the word that Captain America and Iron Man were gracing their Fourth of July celebration spread like wildfire. The citizens, though, reacted in a way that Tony totally didn’t expect. They ignored them. Oh, the people the two men interacted with were friendly and accepting, but Steve and Tony received no special treatment. People taking pictures of them were even chided by others and not a single person asked for an autograph.

As for activities, there was plenty. There were arts and crafts for sale, something Steve enjoyed more than Tony did. It still boggled Tony’s mind that a big, brawny man like Steve Rogers was an artist at heart. Steve did eventually get tired of admiring the crafts and let himself be talked into doing a Segway tour of the river front area. 

“I don’t need a helmet,” Steve actually pouted as Tony insisted on the headgear. “The serum means that I heal fast, head injuries aren’t an issue.”

“Too bad.” Tony took Steve’s safety very seriously, He’d seen for himself that Steve’s chemically altered body readily healed from damage, but he was a firm believer in not taking any chances – where Steve’s safety was concerned, anyway. “You’re a role model. Listen, I think that little kid over there’s saying he doesn’t need his helmet because Captain America isn’t wearing his.”

Steve glared at him, but snatched the helmet from Tony’s hands. “You’re an evil man, Mr. Stark.”

Tony grinned, not put off by Steve’s reaction. “That’s what I keep telling you.”

Not too surprisingly, Tony was a more reckless Segway driver than Steve, although the captain was more daring than Tony would have thought. After their Segway tour, there were plenty of other things to do. Both men politely declined the face painting, but there were bands playing in various parts of the riverfront and Steve was even drafted to be the judge in a pie eating contest.

“You didn’t look very impressed.” Tony said to him afterwards. No one else would have noticed Steve’s slight lack of enthusiasm, but Tony knew the super soldier better than anyone. “The crowd was really into it.”

Steve snorted. “The crowd hasn’t seen Thor eat. Now that’s impressive.”

There was a parade, of course. Tony had a surprising reaction when the group of veteran’s went by. The younger former soldiers marched, but there were some elderly gentlemen riding in convertibles. Steve stood at rigid attention, saluting, during the whole procession, but groped for Tony’s hand when the oldsters went by. Tony gripped it tightly. If it were not the ice, Steve would have been that age, if he were even still alive. If not for Steve’s sacrifice, Tony never would have met him.

“Tony, do you mind?” Steve asked after the parade. He was looking over at a gazebo where the veterans ‘who’d marked in the parade had gathered.

“Of course not, babe.” Tony kept his hand intertwined with his lover’s, but as they got to gazebo, he let go. Steve looked at him in concern. “I think you’re the guy they want to talk to.”

Steve looked at the group of men and back to Tony. “You sure?”

“Yeah,” Tony smiled at him in encouragement. “You go ahead, I’ll be right there. I gotta see a man about a horse anyway.”

Steve didn’t look like he believed Tony, but he smiled back anyway. Tony watched with pride as Steve approached the veterans. The elderly men immediately knew who Steve was, judging by the way he was pulled into the group with a round of cheers and back slapping.

Tony had lied to Steve a little. He did have to make a short side trip, but not to the bathroom. He found Marion from before, packing up her booth. “Hey, you leaving already?”

She looked tired, but triumphant. “We sold out.”

“That’s great, congratulations.” Tony was sincere, helping veterans was a cause he believed in, even before he’d fallen in love with Steve. “As you might have heard, I’m a bit of an entrepreneur. I’d like to talk to you about some additional funding ideas for your project. . . . ”

By the time Tony returned to the gazebo, Steve was seated amongst the veterans like he belonged there. Tony hung back for a bit, enjoying watching Steve talk to other men from his generation, people who’d fought in the same war as he had and spoke the same language, so to speak. For a minute, Tony wondered what Steve saw in a hip, slick modern guy like him. At that moment, Steve looked up and saw him. The way his whole face lit up proved more than any words could just what Tony meant to him. Tony put his hands in his pockets and approached them.

“Guys, this is the man I was telling you about, Tony Stark.” Steve looked proud enough to pop buttons as he introduced Steve. 

“Son, you are one god damned fighter.” A man whose right arm ended in a stump gave Tony a salute. “Saw you on TV, you gave those alien shitters a thing or two, didn’t ya.”

“Well, I’m not a marine or anything.” Tony had seen the tattoo on the man’s arm. “But I did okay.”

“You did more than okay.” Another man chimed in. His voice was thin with age, but his gaze was steady. “Made me proud to be an American again.”

Tony felt unusually shy. It was normally Steve who bashfully backed away from compliments. Standing there among the men who’d fought in such a significant war and did so considerably less well armed than Tony was, made him uncharacteristically humble.

After spending time with the veterans, Steve and Tony tracked down some food. Tony could afford gourmet meals, but he could chow down on hotdogs with the best of them. Steve’s metabolism meant that he had to eat a lot and often, but as Tony watched his lover practically inhale his fourth and fifth corn-on-the-cobs, Tony realized that Steve rarely ate with such gusto. He resolved to tell JARVIS to stock corn more often and the way that Steve licked his fingers to get the last of butter had nothing to do with it.

Finally it was time for fireworks. One of the local retailers had closed early, allowing the crowd to gather to watch the fireworks show that was billed as the largest in the Midwest. One of the locals led them in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and, despite being a big city slicker, Tony felt himself tearing up a little at hearing the multitude of voices reciting the familiar vow. Tony leaned back into Steve, grateful for his lover’s bulk.

The fireworks were everything they were billed to be. As the first few went off, however, he felt Steve tense. “You okay, babe.”

“Yeah.” Steve sounded a little breathless. “Just brought me back for a minute there and not in a good way.”

Another explosive went off in the sky and Tony belatedly realized that to someone who’d experienced WWII, it might bring up some bad memories. “You want to leave.”

Steve’s jaw was firm as he answered. “No. I’m where I want to be.”

Tony took advantage of the darkness to take Steve’s hand again and, as the display went on, felt his lover relax. By the time the fireworks had its finale, Steve was thoroughly enjoying it, as was evident by the grin on his face.

When it was over, the two men made their way to their SUV. With the whole crowd leaving at once, traffic was a nightmare, but for once Tony didn’t mind. Steve was driving again, but took one hand off the wheel to hold Tony’s. By the time they reached the airport, Tony was almost sorry for their trip to be over.

“What’s she doing here?” Steve asked as he pulled the SUV near the plane. Being rich gave Tony access that the general public didn’t have.

“Hey, Marion!” Tony greeted his friend from the flower selling booth. “After my bell boy here gets a package out of the back, she’s all yours.”

Steve rolled his eyes, but obligingly got Tony’s Iron Man suit out of the SUV. He stood and watched as Tony handed the keys over. “I hope the raffle brings in a lot of dough.”

“I’m sure it will.” Marion beamed at Tony. “Thank you so much.”

Tony leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Anything for our troops.”

The two men made their goodbyes, stowed the Iron Man suit, and took their seats in the plane. After Tony finished buckling himself in for takeoff, he found Steve looking at him fondly.

“You always were planning on giving the SUV away.” Steve’s comment was more of a statement than an accusation.

“Well, yeah.” Tony said nonchalantly. “It’s not like we were driving it home.”

Steve shook his head. “You are something, Mr. Stark.”

Tony blushed. He acted arrogant to cover up how inadequate he generally felt; compliments from people he cared about were therefore that much more cherished. “Did you like your birthday?”

Being tall, Steve could easily lean over in his chair and kiss Tony deeply. “Loved it. There’s just one problem, though.”

Running his tongue over his lip, it took a moment to register what Steve said. “Problem? What problem?”

Steve laughed softly. “I’m never gonna be able to match this for your birthday. You set the bar pretty high, Tony.”

Tony relaxed with relief. “No problem, Cap, my birthday will be a piece of cake. It’ll involve you in a Speedo and a Caribbean island.” Steve looked confused and Tony started to explain. “A Speedo is - . . . .”

“. . . an absurdly small swimming suit,” Steve finished for him. “Natasha got me one for my birthday.”

“Natasha got you a Speedo?” Tony was open-mouthed with disbelief. “But she got you a book of Russian poetry, I saw you open it.”

The Avengers’d had a family-style birthday celebration for Steve the night before, complete with cake and ice cream. Tony knew Steve had been given no swimsuits at the gathering; he’d remember something like that.

“That was the public gift,” Steve explained. “Later, she gave me the Speedo.”

Tony sputtered. “That little bitch, I’ll throw her ass out of the tower, giving my boyfriend a Speedo.” He glared at Steve. “Did I mention that the Caribbean island I had in mind is a private one? As in no one else gets to see you-. . . .”

Steve stopped his tirade with a quick kiss. “I wondered why Natasha would give me a red and gold swimming suit that was way too small. It’s not in my size, Tony.” Steve blushed a deep scarlet. “It’s in your size.”

Tony was a genius; it only took him a minute to figure it out. “Excuse me.” He hit the button that connected an intercom from his seat to the cabin. “Jeffrey, there’ll be a $5000 in it for you if you can shave time off our expected arrival.” Steve discreetly cleared his throat. “Without, of course, breaking any FAA regulations or jeopardizing anyone’s safety.”

“Will do, sir,” Jeffrey sounded like he was smiling, but Tony immediately broke the connection. 

“Remind me,” Tony said as the plane started taxiing down the runway. “To give Natasha a really nice gift when we get home.”

“Will do,” Steve promised. “But only after the fashion show.”

Tony groaned as he imagined the look in Steve’s eyes as he modeled the swimsuit.

It was going to be a long flight home.

~the end~


End file.
